The Arduino is a popular, affordable, and accessible platform for microcontroller programming. It can be used to control LED lights, motors in a robot, and to trigger sounds. It can be used to make game controllers or art projects, or anything you can dream up.

Sessions are Oct 17th and 24th at 7pm, the price is $30 for 2 2-hour sessions (although we’ll hang out longer if you want to experiment and play some more). Please bring your own laptop with the free Arduino software installed (you can get it here:http://arduino.cc/en/main/software ) All other materials (Arduino, breadboards, sensors, motors, piezo speakers, and LEDs) will be provided.

The third week of April is World Creativity & Innovation Week. Bloominglabs is going to celebrate by decorating the pedestrian bridge that runs over 4th Street connecting Fountain Square Mall to the Garage Art parking garage.

We met at Bloominglabs on Tuesday, April 16th, between 6pm and 10pm to brainstorm. We came up with quite a few decorative ideas for the bridge.

Makevention

Come celebrate the maker's movement in Bloomington!

Exhibitors will be charge a nominal fee ($10 a table, free if you bring your own)

The Bloominglabs Blue Barrel Bonanza is a 2-part, affordable workshop designed to help you construct your own rain and compost barrels using pre-used containers.

Two Sessions at Bloominglabs: June 8 at 10am, and again June 15 at 10am

$20 for the course, covering both types of barrel (waived if you're a Bloominglabs member)

$30 per barrel for a non-food-grade barrel (it's safe for compost, just don't lick it or drink from it) and additional hardware

+$10 for a food-grade barrel--please let us know ahead of time if you'd like one

Annual Holiday Mini-Holiday Mini-Workshops Sat. Dec 8 from 1-4pm

Our annual Holiday workshops are lots of fun. This year we're holding it on a Saturday afternoon so more people can bring their kids. Personalize your holiday gifts by making them yourself! The mini-workshops will consist of: soap molding (bring something in and use our vacuum former to make a mold), shopping bag sewing, popup cards, bows, and more. Bring a pair of old jeans and you can make a purse(more info).

Leave the workshop with a printed circuit board all drilled and ready to be populated!

Heat transfer method or photo resist method (for an extra fee)

$20 for non-members/free for members ($5 extra for the photo resist method)

Soldering Workshop

Tuesday, September 25th from 6pm until 9pm

Populate the circuit board you printed in our previous workshop or Adafruit kits will be available including Minty Boosts and TV-B-Gones. We will have some simple buzzer circuits available as well.

$10 for non-members/free for members - plus materials cost (between $5 and $20 depending on the project chosen)

NOTE: Take the Tackle the Ardunio Challenge! Build your own Arduino by printing a circuit board in our Circuit Board Printing Workshop, buy the parts from us (between $15 and $20), and populate the board in the Soldering Workshop. Then learn how to program it in the Intro to Arduino Programming Workshop. All workshops are free to members!

The space will also be made available on October 2nd from from 6pm until 9pm for people to finish up their Arduinos if necessary.

Two week soldering workshop February 21st and 28th from 6:30pm until 9pm - $20 for one week, $30 for both weeks

First week is intro to soldering, the kit is a simple "phaser" with adjustable flashing led and piezo speaker element (all through-hole components)

Second week is surface mount soldering and also finish-up of the first week's kit if needed

Both classes include a kit to solder, additional electronics kits available at additional cost

Everything you need will be provided for you, but if you wish you may bring your own soldering iron and hand-tools

Send an email to rsvp ]at[ bloominglabs ]dot[ org to sign up! RSVP early while seats are still available!

St. Nick's Workshop on December 6th from 6:30 to 9pm

Come join us from 6:30 to 9pm on Tuesday, December 6th 2011 when Bloominglabs presents our Annual Holiday Mini-Workshops. The mini-workshops will consist of: touchscreen gloves, soap molding (make a mold of almost anything with our vacuum former), shopping bag sewing, bean bag sewing, and making popup cards and bows. Or bring your own project to work on and collaborate. See some pictures of the fun we had last year: http://thecollaborationroom.org/enter/2010/12/st-nicks-holiday-workshop-was-rad

$10 for adults, $5 for kids. Personalize your holiday gifts by making them yourself!

AVR workshop on October 18th and 25th from 6:30pm until 8:30pm

You, programming a microprocessor? Yes, my friend. We’ll show you the basics of programming using the AVR ATMega8 microprocessor in this painless, tears-free workshop. Not only that, but you will gain experience “breadboarding” - building prototype circuits. You will upload your program to the microprocessors to tell it what to do – the first step in harnessing the power of this pervasive technology.

Course is 4 hours long spread over two days

Learn how to program Amtel's AVR microprocessors

Attendees will breadboard small circuits and program an AVR to control them

Although programming experience will be helpful, it is not required for this course. Basic electronic knowledge also helpful but not required.

This is a more advanced version of the Arduino course held in August. Many of the same subjects will be covered at a much lower level.

Course material can be found at AVR_Class

Advance registration required and seats are limited

Cost is $20 for the entire course

Email contact at bloominglabs dot org to register or for more information

Getting Started with the Arduino

When: August 23rd, 2011 from 6:30pm until 8:30pm

Where: Bloominglabs

Cost: $20

The class are limited to six people so signup early!

Who should attend: People who want to learn how to get started using the arduino board. Attendees will learn

How to get the arduino software

Where to order a board

How to connect the board to the computer

How to connect LEDs to the board

The very basics of programming to write a small program to flash the LEDs.

The class attendees will be using a computer so basic knowledge of Windows and typing skills would be required. Kids are welcome but under 15 need to be accompanied by a parent.

Attendees are not required to bring anything and will leave with a hand out of material of the class.

Contact jsissom (at) bloominglabs (dot) org with questions or to reserve a space

This course is a good introductory course to how to use a microprocessor to people who have little programming or computer experience.

Wonderlab BugBot Workshop

Aug 13th, 2011 1-3pm

Contact Wonderlabs to register

Getting Started with the Arduino

When: July 23rd, 2011 during our Open House

One class will be 11am to noon and one class will be 2pm - 3pm.

Classes are limited to six people each. These are first come, first serve and there will be a sign up sheet in the space on the day of the open house. Make sure to get there early to get a seat in the class.

Who should attend: People who want to learn how to get started using the arduino board. Attendees will learn

How to get the arduino software

Where to order a board

How to connect the board to the computer

How to connect LEDs to the board

The very basics of programming to write a small program to flash the LEDs.

The class attendees will be using a computer so basic knowledge of Windows and typing skills would be required. Kids are welcome but they should be at least 10 years old.

Attendees are not required to bring anything and will leave with a hand out of material of the class.

Questions? Contact jsissom@bloominglabs.org

OpenHouse July 23rd from 10am-4pm at the new space! 3927 W. Roll Avenue. Tell your friends! See you there!

Build a ride-able beetlebot. Jenett has 2 large DC motors that would easily move a person. Dosman found an electric wheelchair that will serve as the motors and chassis! A charger has been acquired and it works. Joe suggests we steer by grabbing the antennas.